JS8Call Version 2.3.1 Release Notes

Release Date: June 27, 2025

This is a maintenance and bugfix release focused on stability and functional correctness, particularly in messaging and PTT handling.

🛠️ Bug Fixes & Improvements

• Message Window Stability:
  Fixed a signal/slot connection issue in the message window that could lead to inconsistent or missing message updates during operation.
  [Commit: 6b396e9]

• PTT Test Behavior:
  The Push-To-Talk (PTT) test now correctly respects the user's current audio device settings, ensuring accurate hardware behavior when testing transmit capabilities.
  [Commit: b203ef3]

• Reference Safety in Messaging System:
  Resolved multiple instances of dangling references by replacing them with value-based delivery callbacks in the group messaging subsystem, improving memory safety and execution consistency.
  [Commits: 0598bfe, 15c32e6, 53c7be3, a256670, 86af85e, df118ea]

JS8Call Version 2.3.0 Release Notes

A special thanks goes out to Allan (@bazineta) for the tireless effort on removing Fortran (and as such, shared memory) as a dependency.
A special thanks goes out to Joe (@Joe-K0OG) for the tireless effort of wrangling and testing this release
A special thanks goes out to Rob (@rruchte) for the Group Messaging updates.
A special thanks goes out to Chris (@MidwestAire) for stepping in for a MacOS build

If you're interested in helping build the future of weak signal radio, let me know!

Platform & Build Changes

• Migration to Qt 6: The UI now appears platform-native across operating systems.
• 64-bit Only: All builds are now exclusively 64-bit.

Library Updates

• Hamlib Updated to 4.6.2: Supports a wider range of radios.

Architecture & Dependencies

• Fortran and Shared Memory Removed:

  • JS8Call no longer uses Fortran or requires shared memory segments.
  • ⚠️ Note: WSJTX still requires shared memory; do not remove it from your system if you use WSJTX.

User Interface Improvements

• General Enhancements:

  • UI performance and layout improved, particularly on high-DPI displays.

• dB Slider Widget:

  • Updated for a cleaner appearance.
  • Now includes a dB level indicator.

API & Protocol Updates

• UDP Reporting API:

  • Now supports multicast.

Calls Table Enhancements

• Distance and Azimuth Display:

  • Distance and azimuth are now shown separately.
  • Hovering over azimuth shows the closest cardinal compass direction.

• Improved Geolocation Precision:

  • Uses the 4th Maidenhead pair (if available) for more accurate azimuth and distance.

Decode Settings

• Variable Decode Depth Removed:

  • Testing showed little value beyond a depth of 2; this feature has been removed.

PSK Reporter Improvements

• New Behaviors:

  • Supports TCP connections.
  • Eliminates redundant spots.
  • Posts are better spread over time to reduce network spikes.

• Eclipse Support:

  • In line with WSJTX, JS8Call will transmit spots more frequently during solar eclipses as part of the HamSCI Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science.
    → [More info](https://www.hamsci.org/eclipse)

Audio Device Management

• Improved Methodology (adopted from WSJTX-improved):

  1. Devices that disappear temporarily are retained unless the user selects a different one.
  2. Audio devices are not enumerated until an audio settings dropdown is opened, to avoid blocking behavior—particularly on Linux.
  3. ⚠️ Users will likely need to reselect audio devices upon first launch of version 2.3.0.

Group Messaging Enhancements

• New Group Messaging Functions:
  Users can now right-click on a group name to store/retrieve group messages.

  1. MSG TO:GroupName — Stores message in group inbox.
  2. GroupName QUERY MSGS — If no directed messages are present, sends ID of the next available group message.
  3. GroupName MSG TO:[CALLSIGN] — Sends message to a specific callsign within the group.

Installation Note

• You must FIRST uninstall JS8Call 2.2.x before installing the new version 2.3.0.

• It would be wise to back up your settings, but should not normally be necessary as settings are not normally removed upon uninstall.
  Settings are located at:
  . Linux, JS8Call.ini is in ~/.config/JS8Call.ini
  . Windows, in C:\Users<your_user_ID>\AppData\Local\JS8Call directory.
  . Mac General at Users/Username/Library/Application Support/JS8Call and at ~/Library/Preferences/JS8Call.ini

• Version 2.3.0 requires recent operating system versions which support Qt6.4 or newer:
  . Windows 10x64, recommend 22H2
  . Windows 11, all variants
  . Linux Debian 12 & derivitives (Mint 22, Ubuntu 24)
  . Linux Fedora 39 & newer
  . MacOSX (12.0 & newer)